The Cabinet has decided, on the advice of the Director of Public Health and the acting Medical Director of the Gibraltar Health Authority, that all catering establishments (other than in hotels) should shut completely to the public as from Monday.

Hotel catering establishments will be available only to hotel guests. The facilities at Gibraltar Airport will also remain open.

All catering establishments will be free to provide meals for take-away delivery or collection. This means that restaurant kitchens only may remain open.

The purpose of this measure is to ensure that elderly members of the community do not congregate in these establishments.

The initial period of application of this measure shall be 21 days from Monday 16th March.

The measure will be kept under constant review.

In taking this measure, the Chief Minister consulted also with the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Dr Keith Azopardi MP, and the independent Member of Parliament, Hon Marlene Hassan Nahon MP.

The Minister for Public Health, the Hon John Cortes MP, spoke to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Business.

The Chief Minister said: "We started the process of slowing this trade down on Friday and now we need to shut it completely not just to avoid the spread of the virus but also to stop areas of congregation for the elderly members of our community. We are doing this for a good reason and we are acting in good faith and on the basis of the best medical advice. We need everyone to cooperate with us to try to slow the inevitable spread of the virus so that we can best maximise the resources of the GHA to give the most vulnerable in our community the best possible care."